The Parson O' Dumford Part 72

"I knew it, I knew it, my darling, my own darling," cried Mrs Glaire, throwing her hands upwards. "Saved, saved! Oh, G.o.d! oh, G.o.d! Thou hast heard my prayer."

Eve shrank from her for an instant, frightened at her wild appeal, but only for the moment; the next she had thrown herself on her knees beside her, and the two women were sobbing and caressing each other tenderly, till the calm came after their storm of weeping, and Eve prevailed upon the trembling mother to lie down upon her bed, where exhausted nature at last prevailed, and she sank to sleep. But only to mutter strangely of "Daisy Banks--poor Daisy Banks," and utter at times the most piteous sighs; while, as Eve watched her, the memory of that which she had promised came upon her with all its force, and a feeling of depression and of utter misery stole over her, so great that she could hardly bear to sit alone.

She had promised to be Richard's wife--promised again, and that it should be soon; promised to save him, when that strange and wondrous joy, that glorious light of love that was springing up in her breast, frightening her by its intensity, was ever expanding, but must now be crushed out--for ever.

What was she to do? To save Richard--to be his wife. Not so hard a task a few months since, but now! Oh, it was dreadful. And yet that was a traitorous feeling that she must crush; and at last, sobbing bitterly, Eve Pelly knelt by her sleeping aunt, and prayed earnestly, as woman ever prayed before, that Murray Selwood might never care for her, and that she might be a good and tender wife to the man who sat at the bottom of the garden smoking a cigar, and uttering a few oaths from time to time against the woman on her knees. What time he also defiled the flowers around the rustic seat, and cut them with his stick, till he started to his feet in an agony of dread, for a shadow fell across him as some one approached noiselessly over the velvet lawn, and looking up, there stood the foreman, gazing full in his face, as he exclaimed--

"Richard Glaire, I've come to have a few words wi' you."

Volume 3, Chapter IV.

A NEW BROTHER.

Joe Banks stood staring round the room defiantly, while the sentries kept the door ajar.

"Shoot the door, fools," he said sharply; and then, as it was closed, he turned on Barker, who, rising, said smoothly,

"May I ask what our friend, Mr Joseph Banks, wants here at a private meeting?"

"Let me tackle him, mate," said Sim. "Here's a cheer here, Maister Banks; come an' sit along-side me. Yow've come to join uz then, at last?"

"Yes," said Banks, shortly, as he beckoned Tom Podmore to his side.

"I always said he would, lads," cried Sim. "I always said it. He's seen the error of his ways, and come to join the brotherhood, and clasp the honest h.o.r.n.y hand o' labour. He's a paytriot at heart, is Maister Banks, and I knew as he'd come at last."

"But," said Barker, "our friend is not yet one of the brotherhood."

"What?" said Banks sharply.

"Our friend has not taken the oaths," said Barker.

"Oaths--Brotherhood"--cried Banks. "Don't I tell you I join you? What more do you want?"

"You leave Joe Banks to me, lads, and I'll explain," said Sim, confidentially. "You see, Joe Banks, we binds and ties oursens together wi' oaths like in a holy bond, and sweers brotherly love. Don't you see?"

"Yes, you must be sworn in, Mr Banks; it's the rule."

"Swear me in, then," said Banks, contemptuously.

Several of the men then advanced, and Banks and Podmore were seized, while Slee began to place a folded handkerchief across the former's eyes.

"What do you mean by this mummery?" exclaimed the foreman; and he tried to drag away the handkerchief, but was stopped.

"This is part of the formula for the administration of the oath," said Barker. "Kneel down. Now bring forward the swords."

Two of the men came forward with the swords, which had been extracted from their hiding-place, and as Joe Banks was half forced into a kneeling position, they were held crossed over his head.

"Silence!" exclaimed Barker. "Now, you swear."

"Curse your childish folly!" cried Banks, starting up, tearing the bandage from his eyes, and sending the cross swordsmen flying. "Ye're worse than a set o' bairns in their play-a."

"Haw--haw--haw!" laughed Big Harry. "I niver see such a siaght in my liafe."

"I swear to be faithful brother to you," exclaimed Banks, "and to fight with you against all our enemies."

"That'll do; that'll do," exclaimed several voices. "We know Joe Banks always does what he says; he'll do."

"But that wean't do," said Sim. "It aint the oath, you know, Joe Banks, and you must tak' it."

"I'll take no other," cried Banks, shortly. "Wheer's Tom Podmore?"

Tom was brought forward, bandaged, while Slee and Barker whispered together; and the majority of the men seemed to look upon the scene as one to be held in great veneration.

"Sweer in Tom Podmore," cried Slee; and the men with the swords were once more about to perform their theatrical act with the most solemn of faces.

"Stop!" cried Banks, s.n.a.t.c.hing off the bandage. "That's enew o' this stuff. I'll answer for Tom Podmore. Let's hev deeds, not words."

"I'll go on to explain," said Sim, s.n.a.t.c.hing at the chance for a speech.

"I was speaking when you came in, Joe Banks."

"I think you come into the world speaking," cried Joe Banks, roughly.

"Get down off that cheer, and say your say like a man."

"This sort of interruption is not parliamentary," cried Sim. "It isn't, is it?"

The gentleman from town shook his head.

"Theer," cried Sim, "the deppitation says as it isn't."

"Look here, men," cried Joe Banks, speaking excitedly, "I come here to-night to join you. You wanted me wi' you before, but I wouldn't come, because I was in the cause o' raight. I wouldn't gi'e up my position as a straightforward man for to faight for a few beggarly s.h.i.+llings a week."

There were some murmurs of discontent here, but the foreman did not seem to hear them, and went on.

"The side of raight is the side of raight no longer, and I'm wi' you, for I'll work no more for one who has done me as great a wrong as he can do."

"He hev, Joe Banks, he hev, and we'll let him know it," cried several.

"No, no," cried Banks; "no more attacks on him; we've had enew o' that.

Strike him through his pocket; let him feel it where we've felt it; but mind this, the lad as raises hand again the house where them two women are, raises it again me."

Amidst the loud cheering that followed, Sim Slee, who would not be repressed, climbed upon the table in front of his chair, shouting--

"He's roused at last, lads. He's a-takking the iron foot of the despot from his brow, and come to straike for freedom."

There was a loud cheer at this, and Sim's vanity was gratified.

"Now," cried Banks, "what are you going to do? You've got some plans?"